Beast
by Unforgettable Green Eyes
Summary: He must win the love of a woman to break the curse he is under or live as a beast forever. Cloud X Aeris.
1. Chapter 1

**Note:** This story is based on one of the most famous fairy tales of all time and my personal favorite, Beauty and the Beast. I was trying to write up a chapter for another story but this came out instead so... *shrugs* I have a few ideas for some additional scenes but other than that, I honestly don't know where it's going or if I'll get around to finishing it but I'm going to put it up for now anyway because I'm hoping that it'll give me the incentive to try to complete it.

* * *

 **~Beast~**

 **Chapter 1**

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

The man crept closer to the center of the garden, the sound of trickling water becoming louder with each step forward, guiding him toward his goal.

His breathing came faster, nervous, excited, terrified beyond belief. He was so close he could taste it. A lifetime's worth of studying and searching far and wide and it was finally within his reach.

Success.

The culmination of years of research had led him here, to what could quite possibly be the breakthrough of the century.

If what he sought was found in this garden, he would be the envy of all his peers.

It could be the answer every man and woman in the medical and scientific communities were looking for.

It could be the discovery to end all discoveries. Hundreds, thousands, of years down the road, men would still remember his name and speak of him in awe.

At the end of the garden path, he thought he heard a faint noise from behind him, almost lost in the sound of water splashing from the fountains, a beating of wings perhaps, and nearly jumped out of his skin. He spun around, his eyes scanning first the shadows of the bushes and trees around him then the sprawling dark castle that loomed over the garden. Heavy black drapes hung over every balcony and window, lending to it an oppressive atmosphere that was at complete odds with the tranquil, welcoming one of the garden. Like a mausoleum, it was silent, as though not a soul dwelled there despite the stories he'd heard in the nearby town that now flitted through his mind. Rumors of a beast that prowled those halls, perhaps lurking in the shadows of the castle walls at that very moment.

He shivered and berated himself silently.

He was a botanist, a man of science. Creatures from myths had no place in a mind such as his, claims by superstitious townspeople living near the beast in question notwithstanding.

But he should be quick about it and get what he came for before the recluse who lived in the castle received wind of his uninvited presence. A monster he might not be, but a man who shunned society and kept to himself would not tolerate someone trespassing on his property.

Another step and suddenly, there it was.

The center of the garden appeared much more well-lit than the rest of the garden but the man could tell at a glance that it was due to the fact that, with the exception of what he had been searching for, everything else there was made of white marble. He pushed his cowl back from his head and stepped out onto the circle formed from great slabs of marble stone, drawn inexorably toward its sweet perfume.

It gleamed in the moonlight, a single flower, blood-red under the bright light of the moon. He moved toward the ornate stone planter, his eyes fixed on the flower growing quietly in the cold evening air, hidden in plain sight on a small bush in the cross section of four magnificent water fountains. A sudden breeze swept through the garden, bringing a spray of water from the two fountains on the west side of the circle and drenching the man's clothes but he barely noticed it.

Was it by happenstance that this flower had been brought to this garden with its open air and the cool windy climate of this region that would allow it to flourish? Was it by chance that the ancestors of the current owner of the castle had decided to plant this rarest of flowers between these fountains to draw attention to it? Or had they somehow managed to find out what no one else had known—the conditions it needed to survive? When the sun came up, the flower would be in direct sunlight until it sank back down over the mountains on the other side of the garden and the mist from the fountains kept the air moist and the soil around the bush perpetually damp.

This flower, little known, but dating back over four centuries was the last one of its kind.

He reached a hand out and the sound of the stalk snapping seemed to echo clear back to the town. A low growl came from the shadows behind him, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. A whimper escaped him as his grip tightened on the flower in his hand.

Another growl rumbled like thunder from the darkness.

A voice hissed, _"Who dares to steal my flower?"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Note:** Just a heads-up: there will be adult content that merits the rating on this story. Yes, I am going there in regards to the two main characters. So, take it as a bit of a warning or however you want to. For those who stick with the story, I hope you enjoy.

* * *

 **~Beast~**

 **Chapter 2**

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

The butler led her down a long, dark corridor, their footsteps muted by the thick carpet that lined the entire walkway. Ivory tapers burned from elaborate sconces mounted on stone walls, but they were spread so far apart along the enormous hall, only the immediate vicinity of the candles were illuminated and the rest of the hallway was submerged in shadows. Had it not been for the small flickering flame of the taper the servant himself was carrying, they would have traveled in almost complete darkness.

At the end of the corridor, he rapped his knuckles on a pair of heavy doors and without waiting for an answer, pushed them open and ushered her inside. Like the rest of the castle, the room was dark, the only light coming from the candle on the wall by the entrance.

"Your guest has arrived, Master." The butler gave a deep bow and backed out of the room, closing the doors quickly behind him.

Aeris stood in the soft glow of the candlelight and peered apprehensively into the velvet blackness, trying to still the fear in her heart and make out the presence she sensed in the room. A darker shadow hiding within the shadows.

Watching her.

"Are you afraid?" A voice came out of the vast darkness, low, harsh, almost a growl.

"No." She forced her voice to remain calm. "My father. Is he all right?"

"Come forward," he ordered softly. "I want a closer look at the girl who braved the lair of the beast for her father."

She thought her heart would burst out of her chest as she hastened to obey his command and stepped out of the light and into the darkness toward the sound of his voice.

Beast, he'd called himself.

Surely he was just trying to frighten her. There couldn't be any truth to the stories flying about in this strange town, she reassured herself, wishing desperately that she could see him.

As she moved deeper into the shadows, she heard something whip, once, twice. An eerie, unnerving sound, not unlike the sound of enormous wings beating.

Her feet came to a stop and Aeris almost turned around and fled as she felt the shadow slowly approach her.

She'd entered the castle of her own will. There was no turning back.

* * *

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

 **Into his dark prison a glimmer of light has entered.**

 **The man apparently hadn't been spinning wild tales about the virtues of his daughter.**

 **A beauty as noble and selfless as they come, who has risked her own life for her father's.**

 **She has courage, this one.**

 **She stands perfectly still, without even the bat of an eye to give away the terror he smells coming from her.**

 **And something flares inside of him in response to her presence.**

 **Hope…**

 **He thought he had squashed such foolishness after the first few times. He, who had always dismissed hope as the territory of the weak; those who can't or won't do anything for themselves, who look to the strong and fate to make things work out for them. Until everything had been stripped from him and he found himself more powerless than those he'd held in such contempt and learned how much he needed hope, but it now looked down on him.**

 **He walks around her slowly, perusing her like she's up for sale on the auction block, letting his eyes roam up and down the length of her body, as if he is as blind as she is even though these blasted eyes of his can see just fine in the blacks and grays of enclosed darkness. She is petite, with a slender, willowy figure, gently flaring hips and soft curves in all the right places that he can make out easily under her dress, and it is with both a sense of self-disgust and relief that he feels his body's instant reaction to hers. It seems he hasn't learned to curb his animal instincts one whit even after all this time. And then he looks up at her face...**

 **He has bedded scores, hundreds, of beautiful women, and none have had the impact that her face does on him. For a moment, he is frozen in place, staring at a face so flawless, so perfect, it can only have been wrought by divine hands and the only thought that runs through his head is that she could not have been more aptly named by her adoring town.**

 **She stares silently back at him with unseeing eyes before he is finally able to collect his thoughts and his gaze drifts to the chestnut curls framing the loveliest face to have ever graced these halls. Her long, silky hair is swept back into a neat braid and threaded with gold that shimmer in the night, her rose-colored lips soft and inviting, and her eyes greener than anything he has ever seen on this earth.**

 **Unlike the others before her, she doesn't faint or cry out as he continues studying her. She hasn't let out even a whimper even though she knows it's a monster that stalks her. Only one other has ever made it farther than two steps past these doors...**

 **Again, hope. Fluttering feebly, like the smallest flame. He tries to extinguish it, but the pounding in his chest has grown so loud, he is surprised she can't hear it.**

 **Will you be the one? he wonders.**

 **It's been a long time since he's been this close to a female that he can feel the heat of her body without physically touching her. His nostrils pick up her scent, fresh, clean, a hint of some kind of flower. Flowers in her bathwater would be his guess, not the overpowering perfume preferred by the women in his circles. He hasn't had a woman in years and his body responds to her obvious femininity with a hunger that takes everything he has not to pounce on her and take her right there on the floor.**

 **He reaches out and trails a finger down one of her arms. She stiffens at the feel of the talon scraping her skin but she doesn't flinch. Smooth, supple flesh. Untouched.**

 **A soft gasp escapes her and goosebumps rise all along her arm.**

 **He hisses in his breath.**

 **She is young and a virgin. Two things he had always steered clear of in females but now he finds it intriguing. Enforced abstinence after a life of promiscuous sex is just making him look favorably upon what he'd always avoided, he rationalizes to himself, but he knows that's not the whole truth. There is something about her that has caught his notice and brings the lust he's had to suppress the last few years raging to life.**

 **"Your name." His voice is gravelly from lack of use.**

 **"Aeris," she says without hesitation. "Aeris Gainsborough."**

 **Her voice is clear, firm, but he hears the slight tremor that belies the fear she is determined to hide. A determination that can only come with age and maturity. Not so young then, but innocent. But despite that, he senses in her body's response to his own something that no man whose bed has known the presence of countless women can miss—an awareness of his own masculinity and hunger that he must be giving off.**

 **She's not the only one who's terrified. He does not know if he can handle another rejection.**

 **"Aeris," he tests the sound of her name on his lips. The choice has already been made for him—indeed, it was never his to make, and now it's up to her. "I understand you have another name."**

 **She acknowledges the statement with a nod. "Aeris is the name my mother gave to me at my birth. I prefer it."**

 **He lets the subject drop.**

 **"Your father asked me to send for you."**

 **"Where is he?" she asks. "I would like to see him please."**

 **He ignores her request. "What would you do to save your father?"**

 **"Anything." Her reply is quick and certain, and he believes her.**

 **He wonders how the man in his dungeon could have inspired such devotion from his daughter. He most certainly has never held a similar regard for the man who had sired him.**

 **"Your father was caught trespassing in my garden."**

 **Her eyes widen. Not with surprise, but with unease and, interestingly enough, resignation.**

 **"Please." In her soft plea, he hears the worry and fright she has managed to keep out of her voice for the most part slip and she stops, as if she can't speak, before finding her voice again. "My father is a botanist, one who has a special interest in the crossbreeding of plants and flowers and is always on the lookout for new species. He can't help himself whenever he sees a garden. He should not have been on the castle grounds without your permission but he meant no harm—"**

 **"He tried to steal a very rare flower from my garden," he interrupts the nervous outpouring of words. She knows the penalty for theft as well as anyone. "Men would kill for it, and die for it. Many have."**

 **"He—he probably just saw a new flower and wanted to get it for me. I like to garden, too… I am fascinated by the subject of hybrids and grow his flowers outside our house as a hobby. He must have heard about your garden and came to see it. My father is a very well-respected man in our town and in his line of work. He couldn't have known it was a rare flower or meant to steal it."**

 **"Your father is ill." He lets her know that he knows. Her words are only excuses. It was no coincidence that had brought her father to his garden.**

 **She doesn't try to deny it. "Then you can surely find it in your heart to show a sick man mercy and release him—"**

 **Mercy from a beast? The thought is almost laughable. He watches her face carefully. "I will set your father free…"**

 **"Thank you, sir. You are far kinder than we deserve. Perhaps we will be able to return your kindness one day—"**

 **"On one condition."**

 **He hears a small indrawn breath as though she had known what was coming and had tried to preempt it, but now she faces the inevitable with a brave acceptance he has seldom seen in any man or woman.**

 **"Anything," she says again.**

 **"You." And with that one word, he springs his trap. "I will have you in exchange for him. I will have you in my bed. You will be mine...in every way." A slight pause before he poses the question he'd asked only once before of all those other women who had come to his door. "Will you have me...Aeris?"**

 **His eyes remain on hers, note how those incredibly green eyes widen even further as all the implications of his words sink in. To him, an eternity passes before she gives him her answer. In reality, no more than the space of a heartbeat for her to make her decision.**

 **"I will."**

 **The door to the trap slams shut.**

 **The quarry has been caught. And now the real game begins.**

 **Finally.**


	3. Chapter 3

**~Beast~**

 **Chapter 3**

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

The sun hung low, a dark scarlet-gold, just peeking out over the horizon. Around it, the moon and a few stars had already staked out their place in the red-violet sky. The lone figure on the road cast a quick glance upward, the last light of the sun revealing his features plainly for a brief moment, and the deep, jagged scar that ran down the middle of his forehead.

The young man ran a gloved hand down his face and let out a weary sigh.

"Hell and damnation," he swore irritably. "What a damned, miserable day."

Clearly he would have to find a place to stop for the night. Not that he had much hope of finding an inn or even a farmhouse. He'd only come across a handful of farms the whole day and not a single one had looked like it had anything more than a run-down barn to offer a man, much less suitable lodgings, no matter how deep his pockets.

His run of bad luck had begun that morning when his horse had thrown a shoe a few hours after they'd left town and he'd ridden him nearly to the ground before realizing the animal was in terrible pain. The widow and her daughter he'd left him with had barely been able to spare half a loaf of bread, let alone a horse or mule that wasn't on its last legs. His only recourse had been to leave his horse in their care, along with a purse of munny and his word that he'd send someone back for him and continued his way on foot.

He was already a week behind schedule and would be a few days later still at his current pace.

"Gods damn it!" he cursed, and tried to push the cold fear and dread that came with the thought aside.

He lifted his head and glared in defiance at the pale face of the moon.

"I'm coming," he muttered grimly, quickening his strides.

* * *

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

The smell of lavender from her bath clung to the air as the maid tidied up the bedchamber and rearranged the pillows on the bed while the young woman sat at the dresser, contemplating the dazzling array of jewelry spread out before her. As she went about her chores, the maid sneaked a glance at the woman every now and then out of the corner of her eye, noting with pleasure the thick, dark curls that she'd insisted on washing and brushing to a shine despite the owner's protest.

Her duties completed to her satisfaction, she crossed the room and stood behind the young woman that the butler had placed under her watch the previous night. The maid observed silently as she reached forward and ran her finger absently across a magnificent black opal pendant sitting upon a bed of white velvet inside an equally splendid gold jewelry box.

"A fine choice." Her voice made her new mistress jump as she snatched her hand back and rose from her chair.

The maid removed the necklace from the jewelry box and held it up so that every line of the exquisitely detailed figure of the wolf's head engraved into the opal was picked up by the candlelight. In doing so, she inadvertently set off the stone's natural rainbow of iridescent colors, and the ebony diamonds embedded in the wolf's eye sockets and all along the necklace sparkled like stars in the soft light.

Her gasp was echoed by her mistress.

"May I?" She motioned for her new charge to turn around so she could place it around her neck. "The Master's family has a particular fondness for the wolf. I've never known him to bring this piece out—"

"No." The woman shook her head. "That is to say, thank you, but I can't accept."

The maid paused. "Then what would you like to wear, Mistress?" She set the necklace back inside the case gingerly.

"Aeris," she was quick to correct. "I don't wear...or use any of these things."

Another pause. It had not escaped the servant's notice that her mistress had shown no interest in the various perfumes, cosmetics and creams she'd put out for her on her dressing table either.

"If you are ready, I can snuff out the candles for you before I leave, Mistress." She turned her body slightly toward the bed and waited.

"My name is Aeris," she said automatically and stilled. Her eyes widened and the maid saw she had taken her meaning. "T-tonight?" she stammered. "I... A-all of them? Can't we leave just one candle lit?"

"The Master likes it to be dark wherever he is," she explained gently. "That is the one rule you must always be mindful of here in the castle."

Green eyes darted to the dozen or so candelabra situated all around the huge bedchamber, fell on the four-poster bed, before finding and fixing on the drawn black curtains over the windows and balcony doors, and her breathing quickened. For the first time since her arrival, the maid saw panic on her face and understood the reason for her fright. The woman standing before her was all alone and a stranger to the area. Moreover, she was innocent in the ways of men. To make the agreement she had...

"Mistress...? Aeris? You have nothing to fear."

The young woman snapped out of her thoughts and her eyes found the maid's.

"Thank you, Bella," she said quietly and moved toward the bed.

* * *

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

Long after the doors had closed behind the maid, she still sat in bed, staring into the dark, listening to the silence of the castle. The sound of her heart pounding in her ears grew louder and louder, drowning out the silence, and she almost didn't hear the doors creak open.

A part of her had secretly hoped for more time to get used to the idea but she also realized most people in her predicament probably didn't even get one night.

She heard a slight movement, sensed a figure moving toward the bed and stop right outside the curtains on the bed beside her. For a moment there was nothing, then a hand reached through the opening in the drapes, startling her as his knuckles brushed over her cheek. Aeris drew in a shaky breath, recognized his earthly musk and was stunned at the same sensations prickling her skin that she had felt at their first meeting.

Her heart still racing, she turned her face into his touch, and he inhaled sharply. She let her body relax into him even as her breathing came faster. As he stroked her face, she peered through the sheer lace curtains enclosing the bed but could only make out a black shadow in the darkness.

What was he?

Was he even a man?

"Will you have me?" His voice rasped. "Will you take me?"

"I will." She took a deep breath and blurted out what was foremost in her thoughts, a question that no one else in the castle would answer. "On one condition." He hissed, clearly angry that she would dare to bargain with him now and she rushed to finish. ''Will you tell me your name? Please."

The hand cupping her cheek jerked.

"Cloud."

She smiled and heard him draw in his breath.

Large hands grasped her head, tugging her forward and she gasped as his lips came down over hers. He took quick advantage, delving inside her mouth as his fingers tangled in her hair, holding her roughly to him, and heat and need coursed through her, burning her. She shivered and moaned, tried to respond, to get closer. Her fears forgotten, all she knew was she wanted this. She wanted him. She whimpered, felt his answering groan as he shuddered against her.

He pulled back slightly and Aeris could feel him looking down at her in the darkness.

"Cloud Strife."

* * *

 **Note:** Yes, I just had to give the maid that name. So sue me. ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**~Beast~**

 **Chapter 4**

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

A great shadow fell on the marble stones in front of her and she just managed to stop herself before she collided with the figure blocking her path.

"Cloud?" she gasped, her head rearing up. But Aeris knew before she even got a good look at him that he wasn't who she had thought.

For one thing, it was late afternoon. For another, his scent was different. He was also slightly taller than the man who had been visiting her bed and he wasn't wearing a cowl.

But all of that fled her mind the instant she saw his face and her eyes widened.

The man standing on the garden path before her in broad daylight was one of the most beautiful men she'd ever seen. Shock and admiration briefly lit the cool blue eyes regarding her from under dark, curly eyelashes before he shuttered them. He had unkempt brown hair, longer than most men preferred and a fierce frown that quickly smoothed itself out as they stood, staring at one another. An angry, red scar slashed down diagonally through the middle of his forehead and past the bridge of his nose, but it only made him more attractive.

Her lips parted. "My gods!"

A faint smile curved his lips. "Not a god," he replied. "Although you're not the first person to make that mistake."

"I-I beg your pardon," she stammered.

"I should be the one begging your pardon. Forgive me. You took me by surprise and I forgot my manners." He gave a courtly bow. "At your service, my lady. May I have the pleasure of your name?"

"Aer-Aeris. My name is Aeris Gainsborough."

"Leon is the name. I'm a friend of—" His eyes narrowed and his gaze flew to the castle over her shoulder. His forehead creased again, making the scar on his forehead more pronounced and multiplying his attractiveness tenfold as he hissed in his breath. "What are you doing here? Why are you on the castle grounds? How did you get inside the gates? I'll tell you right now, if you and your friends are thinking to get your jollies from some kind of sick joke here, there will be hell to pay. I don't take lightly to anyone who tries to hurt him or think to get a laugh at his expense."

Her eyes widened further, if that was possible. "I... I'm a guest here." Even with practice the lie did not come easily to her lips.

Disbelief and doubt warred on his face for a moment but he quickly recovered himself. "Right. Of course you must have…met his acquaintance if you're in his garden. Nothing goes here that he's not aware of. But that still doesn't answer my question. Why are you here?"

How did one explain a capacity such as hers? Heat rushed to her face and she lowered her gaze to the marble stones under their feet. "I already told you," she said quietly. "I'm his houseguest."

"Whose?"

Who else? Aeris wondered incredulously. "Cloud's."

"Don't be coy with me." The hostility in his voice brought her eyes back up to his face. "What are you really doing here? Damn it, don't tell me it's what I think it is."

"I don't know what you want me to say." She was confused at his reaction. She'd expected disgust and outrage, but not anger. "I've been invited to...live here for the time being." Her face flamed but it hardly mattered when it was obvious he already knew anyway.

"You've been…" His eyes widened and she steeled herself for the inevitable derision. "Merciful gods," he breathed. He was staring at her neck with a look on his face as if he'd been struck by lightning. "He really did it. Holy mother of…"

He took off, running for the castle.

Aeris's shoulders fell and she hung her head. She'd brought gossip down upon herself. She'd known it was only a matter of time. There was no way the arrangement would've stayed hidden forever. The truth would've gotten out sooner or later and her shame would've been known to all. She closed her eyes and drew in a shuddered breath.

"But I do wish it could have been later," she whispered.

* * *

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

"How!?"

The figure at the window barely spared him a glance before turning his attention back to the terrace and hedge maze that the window overlooked. Leon couldn't blame him. Despite the rather disadvantageous angle from his position just inside the doors, the view from his vantage point was spectacular. Although Leon suspected there was another reason why he was suddenly displaying an interest in the scenery before him when he had closed himself off from the world outside the last four years and the drapes had long become a permanent fixture over every window in the castle.

"I see you've met my houseguest."

"Out in the garden," Leon acknowledged. Even with one of the curtain panels pulled back, it was so dark in the library, his friend appeared to be no more than a silhouette standing in front of the window. "I almost mowed her down. But I think she was the one who nearly gave me a heart attack—I thought I'd trespassed on someone else's land. Wouldn't want to be thrown in a dungeon."

The other man did not see the humor in the situation. "You already spoke to Bentley then."

"Philippe," he said impatiently. "He was trimming the rosebushes by the gates. But he made no mention of her..." Though now that he thought about it, the groundskeeper had been the one to suggest he drop by the garden before heading on inside as was his habit. Leon had driven up toward the castle, calling himself every name in the book and then some, and hadn't even pulled the horses to a complete stop in front of the steps before he jumped off the carriage, flung the reins to the surprised butler who probably had met him outside in order to inform him of the new houseguest, and hurried around the castle as if the hounds of hell were after him. Cursing under his breath and assuming the worst, the last thing he'd expected to find in the garden was a woman. He shook his head and let out a self-deprecating chuckle at his foolishness. "I take it she enjoys the garden," he said dryly.

"Flowers," came the terse reply. "Apparently she likes to grow them outside her home."

He lifted a brow. "Gotten rather cozy with the guest, have we?"

The figure by the window stiffened.

"My apologies," Leon said quickly. "That's none of my business."

A curt nod told him his apology had been accepted.

"How?" he asked again, more politely this time, but it was a demand for an answer nonetheless.

"She heard of the beast so she came to the castle and offered herself as a sacrifice to save his soul."

"I'm afraid it's far too late for you to try your hand as court jester." Leon was not amused. "The king has already appointed someone. And he would sooner behead you than have you anywhere near his queen anyway," he reminded him baldly. "Who is she?"

The beast knew exactly what he meant. "I caught her father trying to steal a flower from the garden."

The answer gave him pause. _"The_ flower?"

Another short nod. "I gave her the choice to take her father's place or leave him to rot in the dungeon."

Leon understood. His friend had never had to court a female, let alone bribe one to his bed. To sink to bargaining for a woman's favors in return for another person's life was an ignominy the man he was before would never have borne.

He swallowed hard and forced a smile. "So this is what you've been up to while I was gone. And to think, I almost killed myself and my favorite horse trying to get home in time before you—" he cut himself off and swore silently.

"Before I did something foolish? Too late for that, isn't it?" Cloud didn't mince words. Leon opened his mouth to retort, but he ignored him and simply continued, "How is Samson? I trust he's well and you didn't, in fact, kill him in your hurry to get back."

"He threw a shoe and I had to leave him in the tender care of a woman and her daughter. The wily bastard does have a nose for females. He probably sensed them up ahead on the road and just wanted to get the attention of a couple of adoring women." His brow furrowed. "You haven't asked for my report."

"Considering the fact that the findings from your trip appeared to be the last thing on your mind when you...barged, er, came in here tells me everything I need to know," the other man replied. "You have nothing to report."

Leon scowled. "I _did_ have to leave my horse behind and walk most of the rest of the way back."

"Most?" The beast glanced at him. "You got yourself a new horse."

"Two. And a fine phaeton to go with the pair. Thank you for them by the way. You are, as usual, much too generous."

"Don't mention it," he said wryly. "Your services are invaluable, as you well know."

"That may soon change if I'm not mistaken," Leon murmured, only to be met with silence. "Aeris?" he prompted, trying to keep a light tone but in his mind's eye, he was seeing the fair skin with a faint blush on the cheekbones, the soft rose-petal lips, eyes the color of emeralds framed by long, dark eyelashes the same shade as the lustrous hair that tumbled down her back like burnished waves. There was a shadow in those unbelievably green eyes that he imagined were crystal clear not so long ago, perhaps even just a few days ago, that now said she had known a man's touch, and enjoyed it, and it only made her all the more desirable. He'd known more beautiful women than he could count, both by name and on more intimate terms, but by gods, he'd never seen anything like her. It had taken a will of iron not to let his jaw hit the ground and just stay there. "My gods," he breathed, and smiled reluctantly upon realizing he'd echoed her exact words out in the garden. "Where has she been hiding our entire lives?"

"You will keep your hands off of her."

His head shot up at the threatening tone of his voice and he swung his gaze to the black figure glaring at him. The one thing Cloud had never been was possessive of a woman. But then again, he hadn't had a woman in his bed for four years. The notion of celibacy was unthinkable to Leon. At most, he could probably last a few weeks. Years... He would've been driven mad. Or to murder.

"Stay away from her."

Too bad his friend had to discover he did have a possessive streak after all with such a lovely woman, Leon thought ruefully. Trying to ignore his own attraction to her was going to be a challenge.

He let out a sigh and the corner of his lips lifted with amused tolerance. "Of course."


	5. Chapter 5

**~Beast~**

 **Chapter 5**

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

Her eyes moved quickly, deftly, picking out each individual feature as the flames danced and flickered, throwing shadows here and there and highlighting other areas on his countenance. His was a face comprised of hard planes and angles, a grim, unsmiling mouth, narrow nose and eyes that looked as dark as the sky over a windswept sea in the candlelight, the final result a bold masculine beauty that took her breath away, enhanced even further by the scar on his forehead.

He appeared oblivious to her stare, dining casually, as if they weren't sitting in a relatively dark room. He didn't care for conversation while he dined, despite stating food was meant to be enjoyed with company on the first night he joined her at the table. In view of that, and coupled with his more reserved nature, she waited patiently for him to finish his meal.

"You haven't touched your plate," he remarked finally, catching her by surprise as he suddenly looked up and locked his eyes with hers.

Aeris blushed and averted her eyes. "I'm not very hungry."

She heard him set his silverware down with a clatter and glanced over to see the butler step forward, refill his wine glass and move back again, fading into the background.

Leon swirled the contents of his wine glass with a light hand. "You should rethink that," he advised. "You look like you could use some fortitude."

She stiffened.

He swore under his breath. "I did not intend that as you are clearly thinking."

It was a lie and they both knew it.

She hadn't missed the indolent perusal of her face and figure prior to his comment, his nostrils flaring as he caught her scent over the various aromas that wafted from the table between them. More than once in the past week she'd felt his eyes on her and would turn and catch him watching her, the lust in his eyes unmistakable, sensed the barely restrained savagery and aggression in him that also exuded from his friend, the same hunger.

Her eyes dropped to the hand holding his wine glass. He had large hands, the nails trimmed short, blunt, strength and elegance evident in every callused finger. She imagined they would feel rough upon a woman's body, and just as skilled, as another pair of hands felt on hers. As Aeris watched, his knuckles whitened, tightening ever so slightly around the fragile crystal stem. She had no doubt those were hands that knew how to touch a woman and bring her to pleasure.

His jaw clenched.

"Eat something." It was an order.

She glanced at the table, laden with enough food to feed an entire banquet hall although they were the only two people sitting at the dining table that stretched from end to end of the enormous chamber.

"I'm fine."

His mouth tightened, but he refrained from saying anything else.

An awkward silence fell.

She considered retiring to her room for the night, but a discreet cough came from behind her shoulder and she gave a start.

"If the Mistress wishes, I can have a tray sent up to her bedchamber tonight," said the butler.

"Leave us." The dark-haired man seated across the table did not look pleased.

"Yes, Master Leon." The butler bowed and withdrew quietly from the room.

"All right, then." His eyes were on her face, watching her intently. "What burning questions do you have for me tonight?"

She sucked in her breath. This was it, the opportunity she had waited all evening for.

Leon was pleasant and provided some much-needed company during the day, but he was also aloof and had little patience for what he saw as useless questions. Nevertheless, for reasons of his own, he would indulge her curiosity after dinner and be more forthcoming with his answers to her inquiries.

"Why does he trust you?"

"You'll have to be more specific than that."

"He seems to trust you. With everything." Her heart pounded, beating like a drum in her chest. "Why is that?"

He stilled. He knew she wasn't simply asking about his role in the household, of which he assumed several mantles, and the list of duties seemed to grow daily. Her personal bodyguard was apparently one he hadn't found important enough to mention to her yet. He was certainly at her heels often enough that he could have passed for her shadow whenever he was at the castle.

"I should think the reason would be obvious."

"The two of you grew up together," she said with a nod. He was no mere servant. "You're a good friend."

 _"Only_ friend would be more accurate." He finished the last of his wine and set the wine glass back down on the table. "And that goes both ways."

She stared at him, digesting the information quietly.

"Everyone else," she murmured. She had to tread carefully and choose her words with great caution, lest he decide they bordered on things she had been strictly forbidden to speak of and he would leave the room. "Friends, acquaintances, people you knew... They all just left?"

His upper lip curled with disdain. "They were never friends. Acquaintances, yes, but not friends."

She closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath. "Is that really all you can give me?"

"He's not a mystery to be solved." The words were soft, but the censure in his voice was loud and clear. "And you are asking me to betray him."

"Please," she whispered. "I'm not asking about...that. I just want to know about _him._ I want to know about Cloud. What he was, _is,_ like. Who he is."

"Why?"

"I live in his castle." She looked him straight in the eyes and refused to flinch as she continued speaking. "He sleeps in my bed. Naturally, I am curious about him. I don't know what happened to him. I don't know what he looks like or why he won't let me see him, but I would like to know more about him. Preferably from you, because he trusts you more than anyone else and allows you to see him."

He gazed at her for a long moment, his face impassive.

"I've told you about his past," he said at length, as if coming to a decision.

"His early years," Aeris agreed. "But I know nothing about him past that."

"I'm not certain stories of his scandalous life are meant for a sheltered young woman's ears." A small frown knitted his brows. "They will leave permanent scars."

"More scandalous than his childhood?" She was sure he was mocking her. "I can assure you, I'm not an innocent young miss who is easily traumatized by scandal."

"No." His voice was soft as his eyes dropped to her lips, grazed her neck. "I don't believe you are. Not anymore."

And he proceeded to tell her everything about the life of the man whom she had taken to her bed. In shocking detail, he laid it all out for her, lurid descriptions of affairs, seductions, duels, orgies, leaving nothing out, right up until the butler came in and announced the Master would be back soon. The food had grown cold long since and neither of them had noticed the clock striking the hours as they passed.

Leon bade her good-night and rose from the table to return to his cottage on the estate.

"By the by," he said quietly as she sat stunned, her head reeling from everything she had heard. And he had stopped at the point where Cloud was, for all intents and purposes, still just in his youth, she thought dazedly. "He told me to stay away from you."

The change in subject matter was so abrupt, it took a while for his words to sink in and when they did, her eyes jerked to his face. "But...you've been here every day. You defied him."

"Still so innocent." The corner of his lips quirked up faintly. "There's staying away. And then, there's _staying_ away," he said meaningfully. "And I've done the latter, per his instructions."

* * *

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

The moon was a silver crescent, barely visible through the branches of the elder tree at the edge of the town.

Beneath the tree, two hooded figures were talking in hushed tones. One of the figures gave the deserted street a quick glance and held out a hand. The second figure reached out and their fingers made contact for a brief moment before he pulled his hand back and slipped it quickly inside his cloak.

"My master will be watching."

The second figure peered into the other one's face underneath the cowl but was unable to make out anything in the dark. "We'll get it done."

"Soon."

He licked his lips nervously. "Soon. I give you my word."

"See that you don't disappoint him," the first figure said and turned to walk away. ""Failure" is not a word that he knows."

* * *

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

A sense of calm seemed to pervade the entire bedchamber in the morning, a far cry from the raw explosiveness of the night, filled with breathlessness and heat and power. But the walls, Aeris thought tiredly, soaking in her bath, watching the minuscule purple flowers float about her in the water. If she listened hard enough, she could hear the night in the walls. Soft cries spilling from their throats, her moans and whimpers, his groans, his wings whipping behind him with each thrust of his hips...

She could still feel him, his limbs entwined with hers, their bodies sticky with sweat, moving together in a dance older than time, his skin under her fingers, rough and smooth, cool and hot, sharp talons digging into her waist, holding her still as he shuddered and grounded himself against her.

Her breathing quickened and she forced her thoughts away from the events of the night and concentrated on taking deep, slow breaths, letting the hot water soothe and ease her sore muscles. Her eyelids grew heavy until with a weary sigh, she let her head fall back against the tub and her eyes drifted shut.

A small sound of disgruntlement broke the tranquility and her eyes flared open to find the maid changing the bedclothes.

"You poor thing." Bella clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "He should try to rein in his…enthusiasm a bit for you." She inspected the rips in the covers carefully and tutted, tossed them into her basket with a shake of her head. "It's enough he leaves marks on you. But this... And you being such a delicate thing and all."

Aeris sank deeper into her bathwater, completely mortified.

Those tears in the sheets had been her doing.

* * *

 **Note:** I've made some changes to the second chapter for anyone who is following along with this story. It doesn't really matter to the story overall, just the point of view of Cloud has been changed to third person perspective, but it may read a little different. Also, I wanted to give a shout-out to DistantxRain and Ivonnebagel12 for your kind words of encouragement. I always forget this part but reviews like yours play a huge role in the stories I write and how they play out. So, thank you very, very much! Your time and feedback mean a lot to me.


	6. Chapter 6

**~Beast~**

 **Chapter 6**

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

Dark brows furrowed above a pair of blue eyes as they flitted from one hulking form to the next. He wondered what the new houseguest had thought when she first saw them. Had she been repulsed? Frightened? Or had they had any effect on her at all? Now she walked among them as if they weren't even there.

From the top of the front steps, Leon let his eyes sweep over the landscape, his frown deepening as he tried to picture it the way someone visiting the castle for the first time would see it. With the sun just rising over the castle, the figures gave the impression they had been surprised by the morning's first rays, many while airborne and were frozen in place mid-flight before they could take cover in the shadows. As jarring as the sight of them in such a grand and lavish setting as the castle grounds would be initially, they did blend into the background and become a part of the scenery with time.

Even he no longer noticed them.

 _"Explain the meaning of this."_

 _"I'm sure I don't know what—"_

 _"Don't play me for a fool, Bentley," his voice lashed out. "You know very well I'm talking about those hideous things everywhere."_

 _"I only answer to the Master."_

 _He inhaled sharply. "You only answer to him. Not to a grasping, unscrupulous upstart who's taken advantage of the situation and made himself the head of the castle, is that right?"_

 _"I didn't say that, Master Leon."_

 _"He couldn't care less if this place runs into the ground." He was aware his voice was rising but he couldn't seem to control it. "But I thought you did."_

 _"I do."_

 _"Then why? I come back and find myself tripping over one of those things every damned time I turn around. I can't believe he let you do this." He stared out the window of the study, unable to stop looking at them. What purpose could they possibly serve? To taunt him? To be a constant reminder of his fall from grace? They sure as hell weren't for decor. "He doesn't need anything more to encourage him further on his path of self-destruction."_

 _"I did it at his behest."_

 _"His..." He sucked in his breath and his voice dropped to a near whisper. "Is that what he thinks he looks like?"_

 _"I wouldn't know," the butler replied._ _"But they've done one good thing."_

 _"And what is that?" Leon couldn't imagine how anything good could come out of something so ugly. He'd had no idea there were so many in the world, or what insanity had compelled their creators to bring them into existence, but he had no doubt that every single one ever produced had swarmed together to storm the castle and taken up residence in his absence. Or at least they would have done so if they weren't lifeless objects fashioned by human hands, he thought ruefully._

 _"They've stopped everyone from coming around."_

 _That he could believe. As much as the previous statues had attracted visitors to the castle to gaze upon and marvel at their beauty, the grotesque figures that now haunted the grounds and terraces, from the garden path to the halls, and all along the balconies and staircases, terrified and repelled people. The massive black wings, great clawed hands and feet, and razor-sharp fangs of the creatures guarding the grounds like beasts from nightmares, ready to swoop down and snatch an innocent, or not so innocent, between their gaping jaws were anything but welcoming._

 _He sighed. Maybe they did stand to benefit from the presence of the monstrosities after all. The endless stream of callers every day, sporting insincere smiles and oozing false sympathy, whether to seek the old thrills and entertainment, to satisfy their curiosity and revel in the misfortune of another, or to simply "borrow" munny or beg for other favors—they were a sore trial that he would not miss._

 _"Why did you let him do it? Why didn't you stop him?"_

 _"Because when he set me with the task...he smiled."_

 _Leon's eyes widened. "So he had the other ones removed and these brought in as replacements," he murmured._

 _In the window, Bentley's reflection gazed silently at his back._

* * *

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

A young woman in a peacock blue silk dress was strolling casually down a bustling street lined with shops in the center of town when a voice called her attention. She came to a halt and waited for her maid who was trailing a few steps behind to reach her.

"I assume you have a good reason for this unseemly behavior." She arched a brow at the audacity of the normally trepid servant.

"Y-yes, Miss," came the breathless response. Her arms overflowing with packages and boxes, the maid nodded back in the direction they had come from. "Look! It's him! Master—"

She was already looking. "He's back," she breathed, a glint in her crimson eyes.

They watched a sleek, black carriage drawn by a pair of elegant, dark-coated Thoroughbreds pull to a stop in front of a cobbler's shop.

Without another word, the woman headed toward the horses the driver of the landau was hitching to a post.

"Miss!" The maid's protest was ignored by her mistress.

Murmurs came from the throng of people milling around the florist's storefront as it parted to let the beautiful silver-haired daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the country pass through again. Her head held high, sapphires and diamonds glittering from her elaborately coiffed hair down to her silk-clad feet under a matching bejeweled parasol, she neither acknowledged nor even noticed the bows and curtsies of the men and women around her.

The young man turned from his horses and nearly crashed into the figure that had positioned herself at his back.

"P-Paine!" His eyebrows shot up, momentarily replacing the habitual frown on his handsome face. Upon seeing the amusement that curved her lips, his face darkened, the frown returning as her smile widened. "Miss Paine," he corrected himself, sounding irritated.

"Leon," she greeted pleasantly. There was no bow as a gesture of respect to a woman with her family's wealth and station but she knew better than to expect one of him. "What a...lovely surprise to see you in town today."

"Forgive me." The ever-present indifference and boredom in his voice had no impact on her smile. "Had I been informed your father had become the sole proprietor of every last establishment in town, I would have humbly asked for your consent before coming in today."

"Don't be absurd," she scoffed. As if he would know what humility was if it bit him on the nose, she was tempted to add but refrained from doing so. "Father is very particular about his business acquisitions. He has no interest in shops or—"

"Then I shall detain you no further and be on my way."

He declined to bid her a good day as he stepped around her and resumed his long, brisk strides that had all eyes on him and a collective sigh could be heard from the fairer sex along the crowded street.

"Leon!"

He stopped short and waited as she walked toward him and placed herself in front of him again.

Pale blue eyes snapped to hers and his upper lip curled with impatience. "Damn it, what is it? I don't have time for your frivolous games—"

"Word around town is he has a new paramour." Paine didn't beat around the bush. If nothing else, she had always been frank with him. Just as she had once been with his friend. His friend who they both knew was the reason why she made it a point to intercept him whenever they happened to cross paths although she would never admit it.

His mouth tightened but he only gazed back at her with a look of cool detachment on his face.

It was all the confirmation she needed.

"She's a whore!" The words flew out of her mouth before she even knew they were coming. "A strumpet! A shameless hussy! No man will have her now! Her reputation is destroyed!"

"Is that concern I hear for someone other than yourself?" Leon's jeering voice came through the angry red haze that had seemingly flared up out of nowhere and engulfed her. "I didn't think you had it in you."

She glared at him. "How? How did he—? How could she—?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business."

Her chest heaved. "Do _you_ know why a woman would bed him now?" she asked, her voice sounding almost hysterical to her own ears. "Someone who no one has seen hide or hair of for years and years? Someone who has something to hide? Because _she_ also has something to hide! Why else would any woman let a beast make a whore out of her?"

"Why else, indeed," he said grimly, and the scar on his forehead seemed to grow and throb. Until that moment, she had forgotten about the gash he'd received on his face a few years ago. He bent his head so that his mouth was right above her ear and lowering his voice, said softly, "If I were you, I would be extremely careful in my choice of vocabulary in regards to her. It says more about you than it does about her."

As if _he_ were any better, she thought resentfully, but bit the words back.

He moved back and the corner of his lips lifted in a faint, sardonic smile. "You had your chance. And _you_ destroyed it."

* * *

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

 **She is very responsive, this young woman he's taken into his home. He hadn't let her slept for long after the first bout when his needs demand his attention again. Without preliminaries, he mounts her and slips inside of her, groans at the feel of her slick warmth welcoming him.**

 **"Cloud," she breathes, her head arching back.**

 **He sinks his teeth into the tender skin of her neck and rides her hard. The bed squeaks rhythmically, her soft cries of ecstasy music in his ears as he takes his pleasure of her body.**

 **All too soon he feels the tremors begin inside her. He slams his fists to the bed, fingers curling, clenching in the sheets as he tries to forestall the incoming tides but they will not be stopped. Tearing free from her throat, he rams his hips forward and hears her gasp. She cries out his name as her muscles spasm around him and his talons dig into the bed while he pours everything into her.**

 **She takes it all, her own nails carving deep grooves into his shoulders but even in her climax, she fights not to let her hands wander along his back. For that, he is both grateful and ashamed.**

 **Breathing hard, he forces his eyes open and looks down at her. Her body is damp with sweat, her hair disheveled, and she is lying weakly in a state of insensibility, but she has never looked more beautiful to him. All the women he'd bedded in the past, experienced and skilled, who knew how to give and receive pleasure** **—** **he grew tired of them in a matter of days, months at the most. This one, he thinks, his chest still heaving. The lust only grows stronger with each successive coupling.**

 **He wants to keep her forever.**

 **Her eyes have also opened and the glazed look is slowly clearing from their green pools. He touches a finger to her throat, skims over the bruise he'd left on her. His canines have almost broken the skin again.**

 **She catches his hand and lifts it to her cheek. Their eyes meet in the dark and for a moment, he can swear she is able to see him. He moves to duck his head but she turns her face into his palm and breathes deeply. He stares wordlessly at her as she turns her face back to his.**

 **"One more time?" she asks faintly, and smiles from amid the rumpled sheets and pillows.**

 **They're not exactly the words he wants to hear but they stir again the lustful beast that hasn't quite come down from the first peak yet.**

* * *

 **Note:** Apologies to Paine fans. She is completely ooc but I consider her role in this story fairly important for a secondary character so I didn't want an original character but someone from another Final Fantasy game who has made an appearance in at least one of the Kingdom Hearts games. I would have preferred Lulu (I imagined someone with a curvy, sexy figure and seductive personality), but alas, she has not popped up yet in Kingdom Hearts so I had to make do with Paine. No slight meant to Paine, though—she's just not what I had in mind for this character so writing her was really hard and in the end I just completely changed her personality.


	7. Chapter 7

**~Beast~**

 **Chapter 7**

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

The doors to the library crashed open and something fell to the floor with a heavy thud.

It took but a moment for him to pick out the shadowy figure hovering in the dark by the window with the curtain pulled back.

"What do you think you're doing?"

There was no answer from the other presence in the room. Leon doubted he'd even flinched at the sound of the doors hitting against the wall and didn't seem to care that they were left open.

His fists curled. "Are you mad?" he thundered. "This is madness! Why!? Answer me, damn you! Why? Why are you doing this? Why now?"

"I don't suppose the thought has crossed your mind to tell me what has gotten you so worked up in the first place?"

"You dare," he breathed. "You dare to stand there and pretend you don't know what's going on—"

"I don't have to pretend," he said shortly. "It is obvious you are upset about something, but what it is I have no idea."

"I'm talking about this! What _is_ this?"

He heard a movement followed by the sound of a sharp intake of breath. The other man drew closer until Leon could just make out his features at the edge of the candlelight by the library entrance.

"What— _who_ did that?"

"You did," he said evenly.

"I..." He hissed and took a step back, immediately disappearing into the darkness.

"Are you telling me you weren't responsible for this?"

"Does it matter what I say? You've already convicted me."

"It matters to me," Leon answered. "The whole damned town is talking. They're saying it's you. Apparently, they've been finding these every few days in the woods."

"Let me guess—they were all left conveniently at the edge of the woods," the beast said dryly.

"More or less." He had found this latest kill only a few yards from where the trees started growing closer together and the bushes grew in clusters. "They'll be out for blood."

"And I thought I was the one who needs blood," he remarked.

Leon couldn't believe his ears. "This is no laughing matter. They'll want your head."

"Old news. They've been after it for a while."

"No, this is different. The entire town believes it's you." His chest rose and fell, his eyes transfixed on the carcass. It was unrecognizable—most of it was missing, its bones hanging out of what was left of the torso and the fur matted with blood. He hoped the thing, whatever it had been, had not suffered much and the fatal blow had come quickly. "I came back last night and have been searching the forest since for your latest hunt before someone else does."

"If it had been me, or them, only the bones would have been left. And you wouldn't have found them anywhere near these parts."

Leon winced. "Right." Whoever had done this had gone out of their way to make it look like something straight out of a nightmare. He sighed. "I'll ring for Bentley to come and clean up the mess."

* * *

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

Her eyes followed the languid movements of the shadows on the wall across from her, trying to discern a pattern but more importantly, trying to ignore the tightness in her throat. The silence in the dining hall was different, not at all like the other nights. Ominous.

He had barely glanced at her when he entered the room and sat down across from her without a word. In fact, he'd only spoken one word the whole night and it had not been directed her way but towards Bentley. During the entire course of the meal he kept his eyes on his plate and scrupulously avoided looking at her or speaking to her.

Aeris took a sip of her wine and continued her careful study of the dancing shadows in silent anguish. His blatant dislike of her was not exactly unexpected but somehow, it still stung. It was just such an about-face, she thought miserably. So sudden.

A loud crash made her jump as the dishes on the table rattled and a curse filled the air.

"Damn it!"

Her eyes flew over to her dinner companion and was met by an icy blue glare. She lowered her gaze to the table where he'd slammed the now empty bottle of brandy he'd pilfered from Bentley before lifting back up to his face.

It wasn't just simple dislike on Leon's stony visage. The soft candlelight in the room did nothing to mitigate the fury and accusation that shot out at her like daggers from the cold steel of his gaze. His eyes were focused sharply on her face, unswerving, too observant, in spite of the copious amount of liquor he had imbibed. Those eyes didn't miss a thing.

His struggle with his emotions was visible on his face but only for a brief moment as with admirable effort, he got himself under control.

"I believe it's time you tell me why you're really here," he bit out.

She stared at him mutely. He returned her stare, his lips curled with disdain. With a shake of her head, she dropped her eyes to her nearly still full plate.

"Did a cat get your tongue?" he asked with feigned concern. "Or have you simply ran out of lies?"

She stiffened.

"It appears I made an error in assuming that using plain language would be at a level to your understanding. Perhaps I overestimated you." His voice hardened. "Just as our mutual friend did."

She raised her head and met his gaze with quiet dignity. "Or perhaps you shouldn't make assumptions at all. Whatever else you think of me, I have never told you a falsehood."

A sharp exhalation met her assertion. "What would you call omitting information pertinent to the situation then?" He crooked a brow at her. "The situation being, of course, your presence here at the castle and in his bed. I advise you to put some thought into your answer and cease with the lies. I had a man hired to look into you and your father."

A spurt of anger and hurt filled her at his admission. "I was under the impression I didn't have a choice."

He looked almost disappointed that she had not heeded his advice. "You did have a choice. You could have saved yourself and rejected his offer."

"And let my father die here? In a dungeon? What kind of a choice was that?"

His fists came down on top of the table, hitting the heavy oak with enough force to make his plate and silverware clatter as he leaned over, his eyes narrowed. "Need I remind you that I had someone investigate you? Don't pretend that there was no other motive behind your decision to take your father's place besides saving him."

She swallowed hard. "If the man you hired was worth his salt, you already know everything, don't you? Why are you even asking me any of this?"

"I wanted to hear the truth from you." With a sigh, he pushed back from the table to sit back up against his chair and his shoulders sagged. "For a while there, I thought you were different." He shook his head. "Damn everything to hell. Damn _me_. I should have known better. Clever, beautiful women and lies go hand-in-hand. You're all the same. The only thing you're good for is a quick tumble. Nothing else."

"You're wrong."

A muscle ticked in his jaw. "I'm aware of that."

"I meant, you're wrong about why I made the decision I did."

"Then you're even more ambitious than I took you for." He gave a mirthless chuckle. "Might I suggest poison? It would be the easiest method. And quite possibly, one of the cleanest. There are many people who would be eager to assist you in your endeavor. I can provide you with a list of names if you wish."

Something inside of Aeris snapped and sent her surging from her seat. "I will _not_ kill him! And if you think that I will go along with any plan to hurt him...!" She clenched her fists, her whole body shaking. "How could you even think I would do such a thing?"

"You tell me," he retorted. "You used him to escape another man. This man, your lover, he was cruel to you and you welcomed the first opportunity that came your way to get out of his clutches. But your past has followed you here. Tell me, now that you've had some time to think things over, are you certain you aren't regretting your decision and would prefer to have your old lover back instead of a beast?"

"Lover!" She almost choked on the word. "Where did you find this man whose services you paid for to look into my father and me? Did you hire the first person who knocked on your door? Did you compensate him well enough? Because his information is so grossly inaccurate, I wouldn't be surprised if the entire investigation was done from the comfort of his chair or his job skills are very poor indeed!"

"Is that right?" Leon seethed. "Pity, I was misinformed about his unparalleled reputation then. I paid a small fortune for him to conduct an extensive inquiry with explicit instructions to include any detail he unearthed, regardless of how minor or insignificant it might appear, starting from who was present at your birth. I know of the birthmark on the back of your left thigh as well as the mole over your heart, which is inexplicably, in the shape of a heart itself." His brow lifted mockingly. "You weren't born with the latter. You also have a scar behind your right ear that was the result of a fall from a tree at a friend's house when you were seven years old. I can tell you the name of every friend, neighbor, teacher, tutor, and physician you've ever had. It is my understanding you were an exceptionally bright student who never missed a lesson, was always punctual and dressed presentably, and had a partiality for plants, flowers in particular, before you were even out of the nursery. The town you grew up in adores you and calls you "Beauty" rather than by your birth name, and the first boy you fell in love with broke your heart the day he left town and never looked back and not long after, you met this other man who would become your lover." He looked coldly at her. "Shall I go on? Or are you going to maintain his findings are incorrect?"

"They are incorrect!" Her voice trembled but she stood her ground. "Not all of it, but some."

"Which part? Have I been had? And by who? You or the man I hired?"

She shook her head in bewilderment. "I can't talk to you. Not when you're like this."

"And what is that?" The look he gave her should have withered her on the spot. "A man who no longer believes every word that spills forth from that pretty mouth of yours? A man with the blinders finally removed from his eyes?"

"A man who will only believe the worst of me!" she cried. "You clearly have no intention of listening to anything I have to say anyway."

"I've listened to you for far too long already. Now I'm listening to someone else. And the more I hear, the more I..." His jaw clenched and he turned away.

"Right," Aeris whispered. "I knew you were going to say that."

He swiveled back around to face her, his eyes stormy. "Don't presume you know anything about me. Or Cloud, for that matter."

"No, I wouldn't. After all, you wouldn't presume anything about me."

"If you think you can turn the tables on me, think again. You could have disclosed the real reason why you came to be here at any time but you kept your silence. Even when I gave you the chance to come clean tonight, you didn't. The time for talking is over now."

"Leon." Her throat closed and she could only stare at him, her body tight with strain.

"With all due respect, Master Leon, I would still like to hear the truth from her."

They both gave a start and turned to peer at the dark end of the table where the voice had come from.

"That is, if you're willing to talk, Mistress," the butler said, stepping into view from where he had been waiting as patiently as ever at their beck and call.

Leon opened his mouth as if he was going to object, but after a moment, he snapped it shut and sat back again with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Mistress?" Bentley's voice and face were impassive, yet strangely, his presence seemed to help alleviate some of the tension in the room at once.

"Aeris," she said without thinking and almost laughed at the banality of her response. "The truth... The only truth that matters is what you already know. I am what I have always said. Nothing more."

"Nothing—!" Leon shot to his feet, his nostrils flaring. He turned to Bentley and fumed, "I'll be damned if I'll listen to anymore of this! It is clear she is an opportunistic, consummate liar and deceiving people is all she knows how to do. We would be better off sending her away than be subjected to her endless lies."

The butler looked calmly at him. "And the Master then?"

"He can go to hell," he muttered.

"That man." Aeris's voice shook as she looked at her dinner companion with tears in her eyes. "You were right in some respects about him. He was a greatly revered man." Her eyes fell to the table, coming to rest upon a golden flame flickering gently atop a slender white taper as her thoughts drifted inward. "But he was cruel. A brute. It is also true he took an interest in me and I was young and naive. A part of me felt honored that such a proud and handsome man was paying his attentions to me and therefore, I may have encouraged him a bit but..." She gave a delicate shudder. "There was something not quite right about him. I could sense it. Underneath that calm exterior hid a monster. It wasn't admiration people felt for him but fear."

"But you encouraged his attentions." Leon's voice was taut.

She nodded. "I did, in the beginning, until I discovered the truth. I was foolish, inexperienced and too trusting." A bitter chuckle escaped her. "Trusting of everyone but my own instincts apparently."

He made a sound of impatience and turned to head for the door.

"Please." She let out a deep breath and hung her head. "If you would care to give me another chance, I will be glad to tell you all that happened between this man you call my lover and me."

No answer came and she closed her eyes, certain he had left the room.

"Master Leon, we may as well hear the rest of it."

There was another painstakingly long silence.

"I'm listening."


	8. Chapter 8

**~Beast~**

 **Chapter 8**

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

She peeled back the heavy fabric over the window just enough to look out and shivered. It was the darkest hour of the night but the moon was a white beacon, throwing light over the castle grounds and forcing the various shapes hiding in the darkness into relief.

To her left about forty feet or so below her balcony, Aeris could see the tall, majestic cypress trees that lined the walkway leading up to the terrace and the monstrous figures that guarded the main entrance. Hair rose on her arms as her gaze settled upon them, trying to recall the faces she had studied up close and in person, every statue with its own individual face and unique features.

" _Gargoyles..._ " The whisper escaped her lips before she could catch it.

"Are you afraid?" His voice came from behind her but the fear she would have once felt upon hearing it was noticeably absent.

"No." Her answer was the same as before when he had asked her the question at their initial meeting but it was spoken with more conviction this time around.

"You're brave."

She bit back a smile and let the curtain drop, enclosing the entire bedchamber in blackness once more. "I thought you were sleeping."

"You thought wrong."

She had to laugh. "So I see."

He drew in a sharp breath. "Will you have me, Aeris?"

Her throat constricted and she could only nod. She knew a thing or two about monsters and whether or not the world believed he was one, she didn't.

Fingers skimmed up and down her arm, careful not to let his talons scrape her and remind her of who she was bedding. It didn't matter. She knew his touch, and wanted it. His breath was warm against her skin as he bent his head and pressed his lips to her neck. With a soft sigh, she let her head fall back onto his shoulder and leaned back into the strange coolness of his body. His lips lingered on the pulse at the base of her throat, giving her a hint of his own longing and the hunger that always seemed to beat within him and her body responded with such urgency, he growled.

"Cloud." Her eyes closed as the fever he was building inside of her quickly took over.

His arms slipped around her to pull her back against him. "Come back to bed."

She turned in his arms and lifted her face for his kiss. "Yes."

* * *

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

The butler stood near the end of the dining table, gazing into nothingness. In the otherwise empty chamber, his ears strained, listening to the stillness of the castle before dawn, trying to pick up any remnants of their conversation from the previous evening.

 _"There was a flower that I cultivated in my garden that he took a liking to."_

He could almost hear her voice, a distant-sounding echo in the cavernous room. Bentley could not shake away the memory of the Mistress as she stood across the table from them, tears of anger at herself and her naivete shimmering in her eyes.

 _"Or so he said."_

 _The servant and the young master had immediately understood what the man had been getting at._

 _"I suppose I believed him because the flower was one of my father's hybrids. I had no reason not to." She bit her lip. "It was quite lovely and we were never able to duplicate it. Each time he came to visit my father, he would have me choose one from the bush for him to purchase. But I came to find out," she bowed her head in shame. "He was really referring to...me."_

 _With every word she spoke, the sense of alarm that they were dealing with no ordinary spurned lover but something more deadly grew. A man who had clearly had his designs on her and had carefully and ruthlessly calculated every move to bring her under his power would not be satisfied with mere revenge. He had manipulated and taken over an entire town for a girl whose lineage and social standing were acceptable at best. It begged the question: Why? He glanced over at the master whose stony face would have revealed nothing to the casual observer but to Bentley, who had practically raised the boy, it was plain he was feeling the same uneasiness._

 _"So, yes, much of your information was correct. But..." She lifted her head and glared in defiance at Master Leon. "Much of it was wrong as well. And you were wrong about the most important part of it—he was my suitor but he was not my lover."_

"Bentley!"

The cook's voice brought his eyes to the door where she was standing.

"This is the dining hall. Breakfast is served in the breakfast room," his sister chastised him.

The butler nodded. "I will be right behind you."

* * *

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

Throughout the night, the cottage on the castle grounds had been as quiet as a tomb, as if no one was at home. With the exception of a window where the glowing embers of a fireplace were visible from the outside, the house was almost entirely dark.

But in the earliest hours of the morning, a string of curses uttered in a low voice broke the cold, heavy silence inside the house, the likes of which his deceased mother would have been pleased to hear come from him.

Across from the fireplace that had burned itself out sometime in the night, the figure in the armchair exhaled and lifted his eyes from the ashes he had been contemplating for the last few hours. He ran his hands tiredly over his face before rising to his feet, wincing as needles of pain shot through his arms, legs, neck and back, every muscle and joint in his body aching from sitting up straight for most of the night and protesting the slightest movement.

Leon could see her seductive gray-blue eyes, filled with amusement at his failure to curtail his language and the obvious conclusion she had drawn.

"Don't hold your breath," he muttered, his lips twisting in a self-deprecating smile at having been goaded into expressing himself in the same manner that she had been fond of. Self-restraint wasn't exactly a strong suit of his and his own self-imposed restriction on his use of vulgar language tried him sorely at times but hell would freeze over before he submitted to her. He was not like her. He was not like them, no matter what she had always said, not even his father who could outdo them all and put a sailor to shame with his penchant for keeping the air around him blue.

 _"We are all damned anyway,"_ he could almost hear her taunt him, her laughing eyes seeming to take particular delight in telling him what he knew to be true. It was the only truth he had ever known to fall from her lips. _"Might as well enjoy what we can of this silly little world and take it for everything it has."_

For the woman who had given birth to him, "everything" apparently included sleeping with as many men as she could and bearing a child out of wedlock before her sins finally caught up to her. Even then, she had died in her bed with a triumphant smile on her lips despite the pain racking her deteriorating body, as if she'd had the last laugh on life.

Through the window that he hadn't bothered to close the drapes over, he could see faint lines of soft pink and crimson slowly invading the inky blackness of the night outside. Dawn had arrived and he hadn't slept a wink.

Not that it mattered, he thought, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Rest was a luxury he could ill afford. Bit by bit, pieces were falling into place and while he had been ruminating over the past and the unenviable position Aeris had put him in, the grandmaster he was evidently opposing had initiated the game without his knowledge and implemented his strategy. Pawns were being moved.

He stared out the window, mesmerized by the sight of the dark scarlet bleeding across the sky. He couldn't remember seeing such a violent shade of red in the sky before. Images of the fresh corpse he had found rose from the back of his mind, and with it came an even more unsettling thought.

Leon's lips drew into a thin line.

The end was coming.

About damned time, he thought as his reflection scowled back at him.

He ran a hand through his hair and let out an irritated sigh at the streak of white residue that came away on his fingers. Stifling another string of curses, he pivoted on his heels and rang for a bath.


	9. Chapter 9

**~Beast~**

 **Chapter 9**

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

"I regret to inform you that we are not running a house of ill-repute here."

A groan came from the figure that was lying prone on the settee. "You too, Bentley?"

"As relieved as I am to discover that the maid was wrong and you aren't exactly dead," the butler said as he tilted a burning candle across a candelabra sitting on an end table until each wick caught fire, "you'll probably wish you were in a couple of hours, judging by the odor in the room. And the Mistress will be coming down to break her fast shortly."

"And you want me to leave before she does." Master Leon forced his eyes open and rolled over to sit up, blinking owlishly at the butler in the soft glow of the candles. "Is it morning already?"

"Your rooms are much closer than the cottage if you would like to avail yourself of a proper bed." He sniffed the air in the parlor. "Or a bath and change of clothes."

"Since when do we concern ourselves with appearances around here?" The master cocked a brow at Bentley.

"Since a lady took up residence in the Mistress's quarters," he said. "And I will not allow anyone to disrespect her in such a manner."

"The only disrespect I see here is your low opinion of what was the norm in the castle." The young man chuckled. "And the home of every other man with a title or munny, I might add. Why pretend otherwise?"

"The previous Masters of the castle prided themselves greatly on beauty."

"Beauty be damned!" he bit out. "They were so obsessed with their own personal beauty and the number of lovers it could attract them, they had little concern for anything else. And their wives were even worse. To see this act you've put on, one would think this place was a monastery overrun with monks when it was closer to a tavern one step away from a whorehouse. The only differences were everything was free of charge and all who came here came willingly and enjoyed themselves."

Bentley drew himself up straighter and let his gaze drift over the master's wrinkled shirt gaping open at the collar and the cufflinks missing, unbuttoned jacket, and carelessly laced boots with several buckles left undone. Moreover, the ordinarily perfectly groomed young man's hair resembled a bird's nest and he reeked of booze and perfume.

Upon trying, and failing, to stare him down, Master Leon gave a sigh of defeat. "Fine," he said in a deeply annoyed tone of voice. "I will hie off immediately to the cottage to wash up, lest I give our venerable houseguest a shock. But if it's not too much to ask, I would like some food when I return."

The butler bowed. "Of course, Master Leon."

He pushed to his feet with an effortless grace many a sober man couldn't execute nearly as well.

"And after breakfast, perhaps you can tell me what happened last night to get you this deep into your cups," Bentley said as the master sauntered past him.

His steps faltered for a moment but he quickly recovered and disappeared through the doorway.

* * *

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

Her eyes roved slowly over the features hovering above her upturned face, examining every minute detail. This particular creature had a pair of horns covered with long oval flutings that curved back from his head and the corners of both wings along the bottom edge ended in spikes. A ferocious frown marred his countenance and his fangs were bared but something about his eyes stood out in marked contrast to the rest of his features. They seemed to convey more torment than viciousness, and anguish rather than anger, she decided, both of which helped contribute to making his face look almost human.

Her hand lifted toward one of his wings, only to stop before her fingers made contact. Swiftly changing direction, Aeris extended her hand toward his head but with him perched on a pedestal, it was out of her reach. She wondered if the horns would feel almost like bone, smooth for the most part but with a bit of texture, and less hard and brittle. Settling for the lower part of his chest, she pressed the pads of her fingers against the stone, almost expecting to feel warm leather instead of cold, hard marble.

"What are you doing?"

She gasped and spun around.

A familiar pale blue gaze was fixed on her from just a few feet away on the marble stone path.

Her hand flew to her chest where her heart was pounding furiously. "L-Leon."

"I don't know if you're simply a naive little fool or if you can really be as good-hearted as you appear to be," he said. "Or perhaps you just have a fascination for things that should terrify you. I thought it common sense that one should avoid monsters, not seek them out."

"He _is_ terrifying." Her eyes moved uncertainly between him and the figure behind her. "But there is beauty in the terrible as well."

"Is that right?" His tone was sardonic. "You and your father must have nerves of steel." With three long strides, he reached her side at the corner of the maze and turned his eyes to the gargoyle above them. "Many brave souls have fled upon seeing these abominations and never glanced back. Your father not only came uninvited to the castle at night with the intent to steal, he passed right under their noses and didn't even blink." One corner of his lips quirked up slightly. "Or so I heard."

She winced. "Men of science don't put much stock in monsters."

"So it would appear." He swung back around to face her. "How... Is there something about this particular beast that interests you so?"

"I find them all interesting."

"But this is the one that draws you regularly to his side."

Aeris tilted her head, studying him as she had the gargoyle but his face was devoid of emotion, rendering it more unreadable than any figure carved out of stone. "May I ask you a question?"

"You may ask me anything."

She let the obvious lie slide. "Do you know how Cloud has wings?" The wings had been mentioned in some of the stories about their childhood so she knew they had been around long before the incident had occurred that had made him a pariah.

"All I know is he got them from his mother's side." Leon's candid response almost took her by surprise. "She had them, too. As did his great-great-grandmother and at least one other ancestor before her, I believe. Some say it was probably an accident of nature. An aberration or deformity. Others say their bloodline was clearly corrupted by something other than human." He shrugged. "Who really knows? Your guess is as good as anybody's. They're not the first beings, human or other animal, in the world to have abnormal features and they won't be the last."

"I see." Her eyes made another quick pass over the statue. "They are not abominations."

Leon glanced at her. "Do you really believe that?"

She returned his gaze steadily. "You still don't believe me."

There was a slight pause before he offered her his arm. "Bentley sent me to fetch you," he said, side-stepping her charge. "You're late for lunch."

She tried to ignore the hurt that had welled inside of her as she acquiesced and silently slipped her hand into the crook of his arm.

"He was worried you had gotten yourself lost in here." Large fingers covered hers. "And I thought I would join you since I missed the pleasure of your company at breakfast this morning. Providing you are amenable to the idea, of course."

Her eyes flew to his. They were dark with concern in his stern face, the icy blue of the irises melding almost perfectly with the pupils.

The tightness in her chest evaporated. "I would like that, Leon."

* * *

 **~~~ooooo~~~**

The chair creaked with a loud, steady rhythm as the dark figure knelt between her legs, moving back and forth. Her soft moans and whimpers filled the bedchamber as their groins collided repeatedly and his wings beat behind him with each thrust of his hips, gradually picking up momentum.

"Who...who are you?" she panted raggedly. "What are you?"

He swiveled his hips, gaining just a little deeper inside her, and Aeris gasped, arching her head against the back of the chair, her nails digging into the plush velvet upholstery.

"I am the one who visits your bed," his voice rasped as he slowly withdrew from her until he was just probing her entrance. Callused hands slid down to her thighs, grasping them and spreading them wider for him. "The one who takes you each night."

She moaned and waited, trembling, on the brink of a cataclysmic fall.

"I am your lover," he breathed and slammed forward.

Her scream shattered the night.

"That is all you need to know."


End file.
